Child Car Seats

Do's & Don'ts

• Do dress your baby in clothing with legs. This will allow a better fit of the crotch strap that passes between the legs. Don't use a sack sleeper or a bulky blanket. If you use a sack sleeper, it must have a slot through which the crotch strap can pass.
• Do touch all the metal and plastic parts with the back of your hand to be sure they are not too hot before placing your child in the seat. Warm weather can cause the metal and plastic parts of your child car seat to get very hot. Cover the seat with a towel or blanket when it is not being used.
• Do not leave gaps. The baby's clothed bottom and back must be flat against the back of the child car seat. For support, you can place a rolled diaper, thin towel, or receiving blanket on either side of the baby's head and body. You may also slip a towel between the child's legs to ensure he/she will not slip down in the seat.
• Don't let blankets interfere with securing the harness straps snugly. If you're using blankets to cover up the baby, always add them after the harness is secured. If you wrap your baby in the blanket first, you will not get a snug fit of the harness, and the harness straps will not lie correctly on the baby's shoulders. A child in this position could be ejected from the seat if you are in a collision. Another option is to cut holes in the blanket for the harness straps and the crotch strap buckle. In this case, you will still have to snugly fasten the harness straps first then fold the blanket around the child.
• Do provide head support. "Head Hugger" pads are available in many stores and provide the head support you would get from placing a towel on either side of the infant's head. If you use a head hugger, the harness straps must come through the back of the pad, not around the side. If there are no harness strap slots in the pad, you will have to cut your own.

Fastening the Harness Straps Child car seats often come with more than one set of slots to position the harness straps correctly. Check your manufacturer's instructions for the correct position of the harness straps at the infant's shoulders. Some instructions say the harness should be at or slightly above the infant's shoulders, while others say at or slightly below. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

• Do adjust the harness strap position as the child grows. Whatever position the child is in, always ensure harness straps lie flat across the body. These straps are wide so that the forces of a collision are spread over as large an area as possible. Any twists or wrinkles in the harness can actually concentrate the forces of impact and could injure the child.
• Do fit the harness straps snugly on the child's body with no more than the width of 2 fingers between the harness straps and the child's collarbone.
• Do remember that the straps must be snug to the body, not the clothing, even when your child is in heavier winter clothing. If the harness straps are too loose, they may not hold the child in the seat during a collision.
• Do make sure the harness straps that go through a strap slide are "doubled back" to make sure they don't slip. Follow your manufacturer's instructions.
• Do fasten the crotch strap between the child's legs. Make sure it clicks into place. Pull up on the strap to make sure it is securely fastened.

Positioning the chest clip

• Do use your chest clip correctly. Where required, the chest clip keeps the harness straps from slipping off the child's shoulders. It must be placed at the child's armpit level.
• Do check your instructions to be sure it's correctly threaded.
• Don't add a chest clip to a child car seat without speaking to the manufacturer. While most child car seats require the use of a chest clip, there are some that do not.
• Do place the seat into the vehicle only when you have your infant securely belted into the child car seat.
• Do check your chest clip periodically for wear. Stress lines may be visible in the plastic and require replacement of the hardware. Call the seat manufacturer for replacement parts, or to check for a recall.